so it goes..

This past week I have read three books. They have all differed greatly in their themes, styles and impact upon me, but all share one fundamental characteristic; they have all been magnificent.

I've already written a brief passge about 'Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs' by Chuck Klosterman in a previous post (check below), but I wanted to share my thoughts on the other two starting with 'Slaughterhouse Five' by Kurt Vonnegut. NB: that title isn't prefixed with 'the' either, despite what you may think.

ANYWAY, this is a book which I found so thought provoking that I kind of have a hard time writing my opinions on it or doing it justice in doing so. Vonnegut's satire on the horrors of war and society's seeming inability to learn from the past is all the more impressive when you consider that is still highly relevent in this day and age, 40 years after its initial publication. This is novel of war and destruction, focussing largely upon one of the most heinous war crimes commited by the allied forces in 1940-1945; the firebombing of Dresden. However, it is not merely a war novel, Vonnegut manages to borrow from avariety of genres: science-fiction and anti-war novel, with fatalist aliens and time travel thrown in with the purpose of demonstrating the absurdity of war and of the human condition. I read a review that says that the novel is, "really an analysis of temporal psychology and the everyman's perception of "what is life?", "what is responsibility" and "how do these two things relate to one another?" and that seems like a very succint way of describing it. It is honestly one of the best books I've ever read with every paragraph of every page containing a profound statement, yet ultimately Vonnegut allows the reader to reach their own decision regarding the message of the novel. I personally found it funny, surreal and profound in equal measure. It is a book that is as topical now as it was when it was written and I see no reason why this will be lost in years to come.


The third book that I read was 'High Fidelity' by Nick Hornby. Now I've seen the film a couple of times and really liked it and I've previously read some of Hornby's other works, so when I was bored and browsing Apryl's book case I thought I'd have a read of this...

On the surface it's a book about a guy who loves records, but there's more to it than that as anyone who's read it or seen the film will (hopefully) testify. It is a fine portrayel of the cynical male. It's painfully honest and, as the reviews on the reverse cover attest, you really do spend much of the book thinking, "I know someone like that!" or worse (in a way) "I'm like that!"
Realistic, funny, endearing and frustrating in pretty much the same quantities, I really enjoyed this book. It admittedly will never be regarded as a classic of British Literature, but then I didn't expect it would be. One of Hornby's strenghts is that he writes in a way that makes the unpleasant truths of life humorous. This novel is an insight in to the foibles of human nature, especially the male side, and deals in subject matter that everyone thinks about but perhaps never says out loud. I've always thought Horby had a knack for writing quick-witted, sharp prose and this book further cemented this belief. Full of interesting characters and plotlines, I found it funny and in a way, reassuring. Glad I finally got round to reading itafter it had spent so long on, "must read this" list of books.


xo